Pros and Cons of breastfeeding

Nikki wrote:

ToolPackinMama wrote:

Many times women feel they must return to work immediately after
having their baby, and in cases like that, maintaining a breastfeeding
relationship becomes extremely difficult, if not impossible.

For others reading I worked and breastfed and know lots of women that do so.
It takes some planning but it wasn't extremely difficult and it is far from
impossible.


Seconded. I went back to work full time when DD was 12 weeks old.
It really wasn't a problem. And the added benefit was that nursing was
a great way to reconnect with her after having been away from her
all day.

Mary

In ,
Jim wrote:

*My wife certainly didnt "get the hang of it" When our baby was getting more
*blood from her sore cracked nipples than milk, she knew it was time to call
*it a day.

It's a shame your wife had that problem. I am confused about how you'd
know the kid was getting "more blood than milk," but whatever. It's
really a shame you couldn't work through it with a good physician and
lactation consultant instead of quitting BF, though. People DO manage, you
know.

--
hillary israeli vmd http://www.hillary.net
"uber vaccae in quattuor partes divisum est."
not-so-newly minted veterinarian-at-large

Lisa Horton wrote:
Should I breastfeed my little one when he arrives? Is there any downside to it?


I can't think of any downside for the baby, unless you have galactosemia.

Sure, there could be downsides for you. I bottlefed my first and
breastfed my 2nd. IME, bottlefeeding was definitely easier. That's not
true for everybody - some people find breastfeeding to be a breeze.
More important, it's clearly better for the baby. And although
individual babies (like mine) can thrive on formula and have no apparent
problems with it, that's not always true, either; and if you start down
the formula path and have a child who reacts badly to it, it may be
difficult/impossible to backtrack and breastfeed.

Clisby

(Lisa Horton) wrote in message . com...
Should I breastfeed my little one when he arrives? Is there any downside to it?

A few; depending on you, they may be minor or not. (Assuming, of
course, that there is no medical reason not to breast-feed.)

1. It ties you down.
Depending on your baby, he may need to nurse very frequently. You may
get the feeling that you're feeding him almost continuously.

2. It makes it impossible for someone else (his dad?) to share in
feeding him. Unless of course you express milk and bottle-feed.

3. It can be physically tiring. Making enough milk to feed a growing
child takes energy.

4. You have to watch what you eat, so it does not upset him. This is
more important for some mothers and some babies than others.

Mothers who breast-feed often find these downsides are pretty small or
non-existent. Mothers who don't breast-feed consider them significant.

Rupa

In my mind the downsides of breastfeeding, if there are any, mostly impact
the mother. The downsides of formula, if there are any, mostly impact the
baby.

What a brilliant way to put it - might pinch that one :-)

--Poppy

"Rupa Bose" wrote in message
om...
(Lisa Horton) wrote in message
. com...
Should I breastfeed my little one when he arrives? Is there any downside
to it?

A few; depending on you, they may be minor or not. (Assuming, of
course, that there is no medical reason not to breast-feed.)

1. It ties you down.
Depending on your baby, he may need to nurse very frequently. You may
get the feeling that you're feeding him almost continuously.

This is only for the first month or two and I didn't find it tied me down at
all. Breastmilk is way more portable than formula and it is very easy to
find nice quite places to stop and nurse baby if you are out and about.

2. It makes it impossible for someone else (his dad?) to share in
feeding him. Unless of course you express milk and bottle-feed.

Who cares if no one else shares in the feeding. Others can share in playing,
burping, cuddling etc.


3. It can be physically tiring. Making enough milk to feed a growing
child takes energy.

Having a baby is physically tiring.

4. You have to watch what you eat, so it does not upset him. This is
more important for some mothers and some babies than others.

I ate whatever I wanted, although *some* women have to watch what they eat.

Mothers who breast-feed often find these downsides are pretty small or
non-existent. Mothers who don't breast-feed consider them significant.

True

"Rupa Bose" wrote in message
om...
(Lisa Horton) wrote in message
. com...
Should I breastfeed my little one when he arrives? Is there any downside
to it?

A few; depending on you, they may be minor or not. (Assuming, of
course, that there is no medical reason not to breast-feed.)

1. It ties you down.
Depending on your baby, he may need to nurse very frequently. You may
get the feeling that you're feeding him almost continuously.

As an at home mom with a dad at work and an aunt to bottlefed kids. I havent
seen that I have been tied down MORE than my sister or sister-in-law who
bottlefed.
Bottlefeeding takes, IMO, as much time. The baby requires as much attention,
and if
no one else is at home you're still the one tied down holding the bottle,

"Nikki" wrote
ToolPackinMama wrote:

Many times women feel they must return to work immediately after
having their baby, and in cases like that, maintaining a breastfeeding
relationship becomes extremely difficult, if not impossible.

For others reading I worked and breastfed and know lots of women that do
so.
It takes some planning but it wasn't extremely difficult and it is far
from
impossible.

And I went back to work at 16 weeks pp, while still working on re-lactation.
By 26 weeks, DD was 100% bf at weekends and taking small volumes of solids
during my working day.

Jean

Should I breastfeed my little one when he arrives? Is there any downside to
it?

I'm not going to stand on a pedestal and preach BF to you. You asked a simple
question that seems to be best answered by your personal
situation/needs/desires. You got a lot of sites to check out to help you in
your decision.

FWIW, I chose pumping for my twins. They got the benefits of breastmilk.
(There are studies to sway you in either direction depending on what those
"benefits" may be.) I felt that pumping was much more time consuming than
simply fixing a bottle. Yet, and I know some people will disagree, I felt
fixing a bottle was much easier/convenient than breastfeeding FOR ME! But,
pumping was what worked best for me, my girls, and my husband. It's another
option you have.


Missy in Indiana http://hometown.aol.com/mhrust/overviewforng.html
Morgan Olivia & Julia Lucille 4/28/01 (YAY!)

ToolPackinMama wrote in message ...
ToolPackinMama wrote:

Many times women feel they must return to work immediately after having
their baby, and in cases like that, maintaining a breastfeeding
relationship becomes extremely difficult, if not impossible. My heart
goes out to anybody who is stuck with such a painful choice. I might as
well state straight out that I think it's a horrible choice to have to
make, and I wouldn't wish it on anybody.


Allow me to clarify that returning to a conventional job can totally
interfere with your breastfeeding relationship, but that doesn't mean
you can't work and make a living. I worked at home: that's one
solution. Some breastfeeding mothers are fortunate to have a flexible
work situation, where they can bring the baby with them, for example.


I don't think working outside the home means a Mom has to give up
breastfeeding at all.

They can breastfeed while at home and pump while at work. The milk
pumped at work goes into the fridge to be given at
home/daycare/sitter's the next day. If Mom is working at a factory or
on a construction site it might be a little difficult to find a
private place to pump, but I bet it can be done.

Mark, MD